Man ‘Orchestrated’ His Sexual Assault Victim’s Murder in Front of Her Mom for Reporting Him: Prosecutors

A federal jury found Lenard White, 39 (above left), guilty on felony charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and murder-for hire in the February 7, 2023 death of 17-year-old Isabella Scavelli in her home, even though he was in Georgia at the time, according to the Hernando Sun.

Her alleged shooter, White’s 23-year-old cousin Sheldon Robinson (above right), was also found guilty on the same charges after prosecutors convinced the jury that he accepted $6,000 from White to fatally shoot Scavelli in front of her mother, La Shawn Pope, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida.

The shooting was “orchestrated” by White, according to prosecutors, after the high school junior and her mother went to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office to report him for allegedly sexually assaulting Scavelli just one day prior, on February 6.

In addition to the murder and murder-for-hire convictions, both men were also found guilty of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which caused the death of [Scavelli], discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, tampering with witnesses, and obstruction of justice.

Both men are scheduled for sentencing on January 30, 2026 and are facing a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. A third defendant, Keshawn Woods, 24, who allegedly accompanied Robinson to the shooting, previously pleaded guilty for his involvement after confessing, with his sentencing set for next week per the Sun.

Robinson’s mother, Janet Williams, 44, was also accused attempting to interfere with the investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice and making false statements to law enforcement. Charged on multiple counts of making false statements to federal agents, she faces up to five years on each if found guilty in court.

During White and Robinson’s two-week trial, prosecutors presented evidence and told the story of what happened the day after Scavelli and Pope reported the teen’s alleged attacker. According to the release, Robinson showed up knocking at their front door on February 7 and when Scavelli opened it, he “fired a barrage of gunshots” at both of them, killing Scavelli.

The Attorney’s Office states that the teen was struck “in the back as she ran away from her front door for help.” Pope was also shot “several times,” but survived the attack. “She collapsed on the ground and watched her daughter die,” per the release.

People reports that first responders were not initially certain that Pope would survive her injuries. She was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa and treated for her injures, per a motion for detention filed by prosecutors, and ultimately recovered.

Prosecutors argued that White “organized” the murder and strategically left the state before it happened “to give himself an alibi.”

Investigators said they were able to put together a “blueprint” for the murder, which included messages from Robinson’s phone recruiting others to help with “a clean-up job,” according to Law&Crime’s coverage of the case.

After explaining the “job” to his alleged cohorts, Robinson purportedly sent a video of himself showing money and cocaine, “both of which he had received from White as payment,” according to court documents reviewed by the outlet.

The press release states that The HCSO worked with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to investigate the case, executing more than 70 federal and state warrants, including one that allowed them to search Robinson’s home and surrounding area, where they found the gun used in Scavelli’s murder buried in the woods.

Prosecutors stated that both suspects “repeatedly attempted to hinder” investigators’ efforts “by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement.” The pair even allegedly discussed “having another witness against them killed.”